Electrical-circuit-changing switch.



T. B. MILLER. ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CHANGING SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.11. 1912.

Patented Deo. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR. ./m m may WITNESSES.- w ffm/W ,/5. /vl 4X6/M ATTORNEY.

T. B. MILLER.

ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CHANGING SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.11.'1912.

Patented DCC. 22, 1914.

2 SHBETBSHEET 2.v

INVENTOR WIT/VESSES.

MM I .1. I

A TTORNEY UNITED sTAltsi l,

OFFICE.

THOMAS Iama'roNA MILLER, or snATTLn,.,wASHINGToN, ASSIGNOB or ONE-HALF TO SMITH cANNnnY MACHINES .coMPAlgg lOrsnATTLn, WASHINGTON, A CORPORA- TION or WASHINGTON.

ELECTRICAL-CIRCUIT-CHNGING SWITCH.

Application filed September 11.1912. Serial No. 719,873..

To all whom it may concern Be vit known that 1,.1HOMAS BURTON MILLER, citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a cer-y tain new and useful improvement in Eleotrical-Circuit-Changing Switches, of which y the following is a specification.

y movable contacts included in circuit changing switches and a plan of connecting parts of such switches with devices to be controlled by them; and the object of my irn' a simple, reliable provement is to provide and comparatively inexpensive device whereby 'there may be effected, with great rapidity, the minutest Variation or the greatest Variation, as desired, in they aggregate number of units of whatever may constitute the circuit or any portion thereof to which such device is applied. l attain this object by a device constructed in accordance with plans illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein my invention is shown as applied to a tuningvcoil-of a wireless telegraph system whereby one or any other number of the whole number of the convolutions of wire comprising said coilmay quickly be withdrawn -or included in the circuit in whioh'said device is connected.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of parts of my invention in a plan view looking toward the under side thereof, Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of same with parts shown in longitudinal mid-section, Fig. 1A and Fig. 2A show a modilicaticn of mechanical parts which may be substituted for mechanical parts illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the plan of electrical connections whereby my invention may be employed in connection with the tuning coil of a wireless telegraph system.

'p l lLike reference lnumerals indicate like parts throughout the drawing. Referring to Fig. 1, 4 is a base of suitable electrical insulating material as of vulcanized rubber, wood or slate, 5 is a toothed wheel of annular form and of suitable ma` terial which is fastened by a screw 11 to a disk 6 of insulating material and concentrically therewith. The disk 6 with the toothed wheel 5 attached thereto is fixed rigidly to a sleeve 7 by screws 8 which pass through a flange on the lower part of said sleeve 7 and into threaded holes in. disk 6. The sleeve 7 extends upwardly and through a bushing 9 of suitable material and .at its upper end is attached an annular flange 10 on the upper Surface of which are radial V shaped notches 12. The bushing 9 thus forms a bearin within which the sleeve 7 may rotate whlle carrying the disk 6 and the notched flange 1,0. The bushing 9 is fixed rigidly within a lhole through the insulating base' 4.

Extending through the sleeve '7 is a rod or spindle 13 adapted to move freely therein. On the upper end of spindle 13 where it projects through the notched flange 10 there 1s rigidly attached a knob 1/1 to the under part of which is attached. a switch arm 15 and one or more wedge shaped projections 16, (one of which only is shown in the drawings); the wedge shaped projec tions 16 are adapted to fit in and engage with the V shaped notches 12 of the notched flange 10. The switch arm 15 is of suitable springy electric conducting material Vand extends .outwardly from the knob 14 to engage with the upper surfaces of the' speemcationpr Lem-r Patent. Patented Dec, 22, 1914,

tween the nut 18 and the flange of the j 'sleeve 7 is disposed a washer 19 and a spiral spring 20 of suitable wire. The spring 2O is adapted to exert force between the washer of the V shaped notches 12 on the wedge shaped projections 16, the spring 20 is compressed by the raising of the spindle` 13 and the switch arm 15 may then be placed in contact with any desired contact segment 17 within/its path.l

The teeth of the tooth wheel 5 are adapted to engage with a tooth-like projection 21 projecting from a disk 22 which is so disposed with relation to the toothed wheel 5 that for each revolution of disk 22I the pro-` jection 21 will cause the toothed wheel 5 to move the distance of one tooth in its-circular path. The disk 22 is rigidly Xed to and is carried by the lower end of a spindle 23 to which it is clamped by the nut 24. lThe spindle 23 is adapted to rotate within the bushing 25 which is fixed in base 4.v Onthe upper end` of spindle 23,"which Aprojects through and above bushing 25, there is attached rigidlya knob 26, to the under side of which is fastened a switch arm 2.7 of spriiigy metal which extends outwardly and in its circular movement engages successively with contact segments 28 which are disposed on the top off'base 4 concentricallyl `with the knob 26.

Beneath the base' 4, as shown in Fig. 1,.

there is associated with the toothed wheel 5 an escapement or locking device comprising a 'lever 29 which is fulcrumed by the shank of a screw 30 and whose short arm is provided with a projection 31 which projects at a right angle to the plane of such short arm whereby it may enter the'space between the'teeth .of the toothed wheel 5 while its long arm is disposed at such angle as will.. adapt it toY engage with the projection 21 of disk 22 when said disk 22 is rotatedv A spring 3201*' suitable springy metal exerts a force which tends at all times to' move the lever 29 wherebythe projection 31 will enter a space between theteeth of the toothedwheel 5. Thusas shown in Fig. 1,l when projection 21 of disk 22 engages the long arm of lever 29 to force said long arm 29 to the position indicated by full lines then the projection 31 on the short arm of the lever 29 is forced outwardly from the space betweenthe teeth of the toothed wheel whereby said toothed wheel -5 is free to be rotated by the continued movement of disk 22 until the projection 21 of disk 22 permits` sition at all times when lever 29 is not en gaged with or actedupon by projection 21 of disk. 22.

In Fig. 3/1'have illustrated by diagram my invention as applied to a'wireless tel'- graph system whereinat times it may become desirable-to change quickly the number of convolutions of the wire of a timing coil which are included in a circuit. 1n such diagram 17A-17B--17C-- etc., indicate con- 3l will be within the tact segments'in' the path of the switch arm 15, with which they are successively connected as said switch arm v15 is carried by knob 14 in its circular movement in the direction indicated by the screw, whileI the contact segments 28A-28B28l3` and 28E are indicated as being disposed in the path of the switch arm 27 with which they successively engage as said switch arm 27 is carl ried in its circular movement by knob 26 in vthe direction shown by the'arrow. The serrated line g-ii-j-c-Z-m-wand o ,represents the convolutions of wire of a tuning coil of a wireless telegraph system. ln said serrated liney and j indicate, each, a single turn or convolution of wire while a-Ze-m/--nand o indicate each a group.

. of four convolutions of said tuning coil. lThe groups c-Z-m-n and o of four con- `-voltutions each are connected as shown with contact segments 17B-179-17D-17E- and 17F of the, larger circle respectively while the single turns or convolutions g,-i-"-- and j are connected respectively with contact segments 28A-28B28c4283- and 28E of the smaller circle. rl`he switch may be connected with, a wireless telegraph system by the. terminals 29b and 29a. The terminal 29b as shown is in metallic connection with the switch arm 27 of the smaller circle while the terminal 2,9EL is in metallic connection with the switch arm 15 ofthe larger circle.

I will now describe the operation of my invention when applied as shown. Referring to Fig. 3, the terminals 29b and 29*l may be connected tothe receiving portion of a wireless station, not shown, lwhen normally the circuit ,will extend from termina/1129b by the path indicated by broken line to the metallic portions of the device thence to the switch arm 27 thence tocontact segment 28 thence to contact segment 17A of the larger circle, thence to switch arm 15, thence to terminal 29a through metal/lic parts of the.-

be turned inthe direction indicated by the the larger circle thence to terminal 29a, as

shown, if it be desired to include two units in the circuit between terminals 29b and 29 the-n the switch arm 27 is put on segment 28c whereupon both units z' and y' will be brought into said circuit. Obviously the units h arid g can be added to said circuit successively by moving the switch arm 27 to segments 28D and 28E successively.

When the switch arm 27 is in contact with segment 28E then the tooth 21 projecting from disk 22 is in suchposition with relation to the toothed wheel 5 that` a further movementl of the switch arm 27 (in the direction of the arrow to the position` shown in Fig. 3 when it is in contact with segment 28A) will cause tooth 21 of the disk 22 to engage with a whereby the switch arm 15 of' the larger circle will be moved from segment 17A to segment 17B. g-'i-iand y' will be switched out of circuit while the four convolutionsjof group 7c will be switched into circuit. Another turn of the switch arm 27 will successively switch the convolutions y'-z'-hand g into cir-f cuit and as switch arm 27 passes from segi. yment 28E to segment 28A convolutions jh and g will again be switched out of circuit and the switch arm 15 moving to segment 17C will add the four convolutions /of the group L to the circuit and thus by continued turning of knob 26 all the convolutions of the timing coil may be gradually added to the circuit. lf, however, it be desired to quickly make a great change in the number of convolutions of the tuning coil included in the circuit it will only be necessary to turn the knob 14 directly to placethe switch arm 15 into Contact with any of the segments 17 to cut out any or all of the groups Zc-L-m-nw etc. of convolutions as desired.

@bviously the switch arms 27 and 15 can be turned in either direction as may be quickest in reaching aparticular result.

rlhe mechanical features of my invention as illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 may be modified by the plan of construction as illustrated by Fig. 1A and Fig. 2A where the parts indicated bythe numbers 7-29-31 and B2 in Fig. 1 are wheel 5 may be locked by means shown in Fig. 2A illustrating the modified plan of construction wherein the notched disk 10 is rigidly ixed on the bottom of base 4 by being fastened to the lower end of bushing 9 while the insulating disk isprovided with tooth of the toothed wheel 5' rlhus the four convolutions not employed since the toothed `a square hole in its center which permits it to be mounted on a squared portion of the spindle 13 which projects below the base 4 whereby the spindle 13 and the disk 6 may revolve together, but the disk 6 may move up or down vertically on spindle 13. On the upper side of disk 6 is iXed a wedge shaped projection ,16. adapted to engage with and enter the radial notches on the disk 10 by the force exerted by the spring 20 which is disposed around the spindle 13 between the washer 19 and the disk 6. The spring 20 also tends to draw downward the knob 14 to press-the switch arm 15 on to the segments 17. rIhus when the knob 14v is turned to 'place the switch arm 15 on any desired seg# ment the spindle 13 turns and carriesv with it the disk 6 with its toothed wheel 5 since said disk 6 is forceddownward by the cam likey action of the Wedge shaped projection 16 which moves to another notch. The mechanism of the smaller circle, 'comprising the knob 26, spindle 23, switch arm 27, disk 2 2,V

projection 21 and nut 24, is the same in construction and. operation as in the like mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the electrical connections and mode ot operatingthe switch is obviously the same in both structures.

Having described my invention and its mode of operation, what l clainris:

I. ln an electrical circuit changing switch', two groups of Contact segments, each group of which has a switch arm vladapted to conneet with each'contact segment of its group,

mechanism associated with the switchy armof oneof said groups of contact segments whereby said switch arm may be moved independently from any one Contact segment to any other contact' segment, ci@ its same Y group, in combination with mechanism associated with both of said switch arms whereby the switch arm of one of said contact segments will be moved to an adjacent lcontact segment of the same group when the switch arm of the other group of contact segments is moved to complete a circle successively to engage with each of the contact segments of its said group..

2. ln an electrical circuit changing switch, the combination with asupporting base, of

a shaft mounted to revolve in bearings secured to said base, a switch arm attached to said shaft to revolve therewith, a handle iixedion said shaft whereby said shaft may be turned by ones hand, a disk that is provided with a projecting tooth and which is mounted on said shaft to revolve therewith, a second shaft mounted to revolve in other bearings secured to said base, a handle and another switchv arm secured to said second shaft, a toothed wheel associated with said second shaft and adapted by suitable intervening mechanism releasably to be lockedl therewith, a detent leverpvotallysecured to In .witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe said base and adapted and disposed to be my name this fth day of September A. D., actuated by said projecting tooth of said 1912. Y

disk to engage with the several teeth of said y 5 toothed wheel to locksaid Wheelas required, THOMAS BURTON MILL-ER" i and a lurality of electrical contact se Witnesses: ments dlsposed in the path of each of said W. MILLION,

switch arms to engage therewith. ANNA HAsKINs. Q 

